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“Loitering” aka “standing while young”
Let's be fair, here. You can also get done for "standing while homeless," and "standing while poorly dressed," and also "standing while black and/or Hispanic."
Curiously enough, you'll never get nicked for loitering if you appear to be doing something vaguely socially acceptable. I suggest showing up with an easel and paints; you can hang around all day without anyone bothering you.
Is this another stupid American thing? I've never heard anyone getting in trouble for just laying around on public property
There's plenty of places by me where you can do this, and I live in the most dense state in America.
When you say dense.......... what is it we're... talking about?.. 😏
Credit where it's due!
You hear about mainly in front of stores and malls in general. Your milage will vary depending on how dark, young or poor you look.
Except in Italy, nearly the totality of the coast is privately handled and you must pay to access it...
It's like that all up the US Pacific and Atlantic and the US has a lot of coast.
The gulf is for the poors to play in the oil every now and then as a treat.
California does not have private beaches. Nor do a lot of states.
Tell that to California property owners near beaches.
Most places in the US define anything below the average high tide line as public. You can own the dry sand above, but if it is wet it is public. Unfortunately there are exceptions.
Loitering...I don't even think that word has a translation in my language. You made up a term and turn it into a crime?
I think it means like hanging around. But I guess they thought a 'Hanging around' charge would be hard to take seriously in court. Land of the free, eh
Started as a Dutch word then moved into middle English. I'm sure there is an equivalent word on whatever language you speak.
most places aren't illegal for you to simply stand around in.
you are probably thinking of the "land of the free"
Yes from what I've seen here in the "land of the free," people get suspicious & uncomfortable at anyone who isn't actively rushing around with a purpose or purchasing goods & services from establishments. Can't just stand around or lay down or even sit, there are no benches anywhere.
Free land can be bought. Bought land can't be free.
Trite and inaccurate.
In some places the nice beaches have been privatised by local hotels or clubs so you gotta pay them to sit on the beach or go sit somewhere less nice. Coming from Western Australia where we have the nicest beaches in the world (all free), I take this concept of "owning beach space" as a personal affront.
personal affront
as opposed to personal beach front
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Few places nowadays is it legal to lay around & do whatever you want outdoors, usually getting cited for loitering or something.
What kind of shitty place are you living in?
I immediately thought of homeless people when I read this. I mean I could probably lollygag a lot of places but if you look a certain way, have long hair, dirty clothes, a few bags with you, you start attracting the wrong kind of attention fast. Often in the nicest places of all. Shittier places leave you alone.
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this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2026
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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